INSANELY GREAT!

RENT, the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning powerhouse musical will be presented by Marin Summer Theater on July 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, and 20 at The Playhouse In San Anselmo. Directed by RENT Broadway cast member and Novato native Jim Poulos, this show has special insights into the original Broadway production. Tickets may be purchased online here or at the door before each performance until sold out.

RENT is theatre at its best: exuberant, passionate, and joyous. Set in the East Village of New York City in 1996, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today. RENT is a hit cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

San Marin HS graduate Jim Poulos' special connection with RENT began in 1997 at an open casting call in LA. After waiting in line for four hours he sang eight bars for casting assistants and was put through to the next level. Four call backs later; Jim finally got the go and was told to get on a plane for New York City the following day. With only two music rehearsals, he made his Broadway debut one week later as Gordon. After filling in for various parts over the next three months, Jim took on the leading role of Mark Cohen on February 3rd, 1998, and continued in that part until May, 2000.

"Being a part of RENT was an incredibly exciting and meaningful experience," said Poulos. "It was my first Broadway show. Jonathan Larsen left behind a great message, and to sing that music eight shows a week for over two-and-a-half years made it even more special. There are very few things as fulfilling and exciting as being in a hit show on Broadway. But I think anytime you get to do RENT, it is special. The opportunity to direct the show is both exciting and daunting. There is a great responsibility that comes with telling this story."

Cast Member Bouket Fingerhut of San Rafael (and 2013 BroadwayWorld SF Best Actress winner) said "Going into this experience, I was nervous because my director was in the cast on Broadway. Come to find out, Jim isn't this big scary Broadway star, but actually, a human being who has a remarkable passion for live theater. His heart and soul has been put into this production and anyone who watches it feels his love in it. "

Also featured in the cast are Danny Eggert of Novato, Dashiell Gowland of Mill Valley, Sean Campbell and Cooper Harrington-Fei of San Anselmo, Jessica LaFever of San Francisco, Kayla Santos of Vallejo, and Daniel Violago of Hercules. Choreography by Shannon Ainsworth and musical direction is by Christopher Zander, both of Novato.

RENT is the second show in the MST 2014 season. Still to come is the musical ANYTHING GOES. ANYTHING GOES will be presented at San Marin High School in Novato beginning July 24. RENT and ANYTHING GOES will each be presented for two weekends.

Now in its sixth season, Marin Summer Theater has received eight BroadwayWorld SF Awards and four National Youth in Arts awards. Ticket prices start at $7.50 for preview performances. Tickets, schedules, and more information about MST can be found at www.marinsummertheater.org.

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About Marin Summer Theater

Marin Summer Theater (MST) is an award winning non-profit theater company for students of performing arts between the ages of 13 and 23. The MST company prepares and presents three fully-staged productions in a six-week summer season. MST's mission is threefold: To present exciting, professional quality drama, musical theater and musical revue productions; to keep tuition as low as possible so that cost is not a barrier to participation; to create a diverse company of college and high school students.